顶级国产视频

Growing up in the Bronx, rooting for the Yankees was a given for 顶级国产视频 & Marshall graduate Randy Wilkins '01. 

So when Spike Lee asked him to direct and produce 鈥淭he Captain鈥� 鈥� focused on baseball hall-of-famer Derek Jeter 鈥� the emerging filmmaker was in disbelief. 

鈥淚 almost dropped the phone,鈥� Wilkins said. 鈥淚 was shocked that Derek actually wanted to do something in public like that. The opportunity to tell that story was overwhelming in the moment.鈥�

The seven-episode series covers the life and career of Wilkins鈥� favorite Yankee, shortstop for the Bronx-based MLB team from 1995 to 2014. The team earned five World Series championships between 1996 and 2009, with Jeter at the captain鈥檚 helm from 2003 to 2014. 

Footage features in-depth interviews with Jeter and his family, former MLB stars like Alex Rodriquez and other prominent athletes of the era, including Michael Jordan and Eli Manning. Lee is among its executive producers.

With a professional rapport spanning two decades, Lee knew Wilkins was fit for the task 鈥� as Jeter soon discovered.

At the urging of Spike Lee, Randy Wilkins '01 directed and produced 鈥淭he Captain,鈥� an ESPN docuseries focused on Yankees baseball hall-of-famer Derek Jeter. (Photo by Deb Grove)

鈥�Working with Randy was an absolute pleasure,鈥� said Jeter in an email to F&M. 鈥淚nitially, I was hesitant to do the documentary, and Randy鈥檚 professionalism and passion along with his emphasis on telling an accurate story were critical factors in moving forward. He put a lot of preparation into every question, interview and decision in constructing the series. I am really proud of how 鈥楾he Captain鈥� came out, and a big reason for that is the trust that I built with Randy.鈥�

Released in July 2022, 鈥淭he Captain鈥� has catapulted Wilkins鈥� name to the forefront of sports storytellers. But what鈥檚 more, he managed to crack the code of a notoriously private megastar. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 a love for baseball. It's a love for the sport. It's a respect for the sport,鈥� said Wilkins, a former centerfielder for the Diplomats. 鈥淚 lived Derek's entire career. I saw his very first at-bat in Seattle and I saw his last one in Boston. I understood the game.鈥� 

How did a kid from the Bronx end up here to begin with? It all started with a dinner at F&M. And, for better or worse, a torn ACL. 

鈥淚 am really proud of how 鈥楾he Captain鈥� came out, and a big reason for that is the trust that I built with Randy.鈥�

- Derek Jeter

It鈥檚 only appropriate that Wilkins鈥� entrance into the film industry started with a conversation about baseball. An argument, to be exact.

In fall 2002, Wilkins鈥攖hen a senior at F&M鈥攆ound himself sitting next to Lee at dinner prior to the filmmaker鈥檚 Mueller lecture. But rather than talk cinema, America鈥檚 greatest pastime was on the agenda.

鈥淲e got into an argument about Pat Burrell, an outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies at the time,鈥� Wilkins said. 鈥淲e had this sports argument right off the top, which is appropriate. We've always had some kind of sports conversation in the time that I've known him.鈥�

At the famed director鈥檚 urging, Wilkins enrolled in New York University鈥檚 Tisch School of the Arts graduate film program. While there, he balanced academia and an internship with Lee.

He has since served as lead editor on several Lee projects, including "She's Gotta Have It" and "Rodney King" for Netflix.

Branching out on his own, Wilkins has earned two Emmys for his cinematography on the FOX 59 Promo "Indiana Made鈥� and PIX 11 Promo 鈥淟ionel.鈥� His short film 鈥淥svaldo,鈥� chronicling the plight of a Puerto Rican family navigating the loss of their matriarch, earned an exclusive license agreement with HBO for broadcast.

In another twist of fate, Wilkins didn鈥檛 discover a passion for filmmaking until his final 鈥� and delayed 鈥� semester on campus. A torn ACL during intramural basketball caused Wilkins to temporarily suspend his spring 2001 studies to recover.  

鈥淚f I didn't get hurt and miss that second semester, I would have a totally different life.鈥�

- Randy Wilkins '01

鈥淭hat led me to stay at F&M an extra semester, where I started refining my craft without realizing it. And that鈥檚 how I met Spike. If I didn't get hurt and miss that second semester, I would have a totally different life,鈥� Wilkins said.

Wilkins needed just one more art credit to graduate. He enrolled in a video narrative course taught by alum Mary Haverstick '82, the only remaining class that fit his schedule. 

鈥淰ery quickly, Randy stood out 鈥� particularly as an editor,鈥� said Haverstick, an accomplished filmmaker who has worked with Oscar-winner Marcia Gay Harden and Tony-winner Marian Seldes.

Building upon his English major, Wilkins found a love for film narrative in Haverstick鈥檚 class.

鈥淲ithin five minutes of Mary's first class, I understood that it was a language and it was a language that I understood intuitively and I connected to,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was almost divine in a way that somebody put me in that class.鈥�

鈥淰ery quickly, Randy stood out 鈥� particularly as an editor.鈥�

- Mary Haverstick '82

Wilkins credits Haverstick and other professors at F&M for challenging him in the classroom and encouraging his critical thinking ability.

鈥淭he basis of how I approach my film work is rooted in my experiences at F&M,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was always challenged. So, in my work, I have to challenge myself and challenge the viewer. It鈥檚 all rooted in critical thinking at F&M. When you see my work, you see F&M. And I think it will always be that way, because I don鈥檛 know how else to approach it. When you see anything I do, you鈥檙e seeing F&M on the screen.鈥�

Film was always part of Wilkins鈥� life, but never a career consideration. His film company 鈥� 鈥� is a namesake to his mother and a beloved childhood tradition. 

鈥淓very Sunday, she would take my sister and me to the movies. I didn't realize how much it was influencing me,鈥� Wilkins said. 鈥淎t that time, I didn't know that filmmaking was accessible to people like me. It always felt like magic on the screen.鈥�

Now, it's Wilkins who is enchanting audiences. 

鈥淩andy had a sensitivity for story. And he clearly brought that to the Derek Jeter story,鈥� Haverstick said. 

Wilkins鈥� storytelling shines in 鈥淭he Captain,鈥� a juxtaposition of candid conversations and b-roll extracted from more than 90 interviews and 20 years of archival footage. The series weaves news clips and commentary on the MLB player strike in 1995, Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, race relations and pop culture trends in the Big Apple to encapsulate events transpiring beyond the baseball diamond. 

The end result appeals to both Yankee fanatics and neutral viewers. For Wilkins, the story is about so much more than just baseball.

鈥淲hen you look at a film that I make, humanity is at the forefront,鈥� he said. 

鈥淚 think a lot of times, characters are used as vessels to prove a point,鈥� Wilkins said. But he doesn鈥檛 agree.

鈥淚t's very important that we embrace the complexity of who we are as people, getting into the emotional and mental complexities that we all deal with in different stages of our lives. So there isn't a black and white,鈥� he said. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 all rooted in critical thinking at F&M... When you see anything I do, you鈥檙e seeing F&M on the screen.鈥�

- Randy Wilkins '01

While 鈥淭he Captain鈥� has teed up Wilkins for promising future material, he still fondly reminisces on the first film he ever produced at F&M. His debut documentary, 鈥�100 Percent Live,鈥� chronicles the significance of a Black-owned barbershop in Lancaster.

鈥淲e had a screening that invited the campus and Lancaster greater community, and it was packed. That's when I got the bug to really pursue filmmaking,鈥� Wilkins said. 

His follow-up project was bittersweet.

鈥淚'm most emotionally connected to a documentary I made at NYU film school titled 鈥楾he Anniversary,鈥� a story about Timothy Ruiz,鈥� Wilkins said. 

Ruiz, enrolled at F&M for a time, was senselessly murdered in 2004 while pursuing audio engineering studies in Greenwich Village. 

鈥淚 knew Tim for a while; we were close at F&M,鈥� Wilkins reflected. 

With a knack for tackling compelling topics, it鈥檚 no surprise that Wilkins was able to pull back the curtain on Jeter, whose buttoned-up demeanor left journalists frazzled. 

鈥淭heir job was to get headlines. I wasn鈥檛 going to give it to them,鈥� comments Jeter in the series' second episode. 

After two decades of tight-lipped press, Jeter opened up to Wilkins about his identity as a biracial man, MLB rivalries, injury, retirement and fatherhood. 

鈥淲hen I met Derek, he wasn't sure if the director would know the game intimately. Thankfully, I had a lot of experience both playing and watching the game. I understood the shorthands and I think it created a level of comfort for him,鈥� Wilkins said.

While the ACL injury dashed Wilkins鈥� dream to play pro, it created an alternate path to the MLB.

鈥淚f I was at F&M and my older self told me that I鈥檇 be making a film on Derek Jeter, I would have never believed you,鈥� Wilkins said.

Jeter sums it up aptly in the seventh and final episode of 鈥淭he Captain,鈥� hitting a walk-off RBI single to close his iconic career.

"You couldn't have written a better script.鈥�

Randy Wilkins '01 sports a commemorative Yankees cap designed for "The Captain" film crew. (Photo by Deb Grove)